2011 Words of the Year – Step, Cupcake

Now that the year is 1/12th over, I’d better set my goals and intentions. I always set a Word Of The Year to be my focus, but this year I’m in a dilemma. I have been playing with words for weeks but am undecided between two words.

Step

Step is the logical choice. My words for the past two years have been Path and Venture, so Step fits nicely. I’ve been on a path, venturing out, and now it’s time to take the next steps.

Step also reminds me to keep moving, whether in baby steps or big steps. I have  tendency to lose sight of my path and stop moving.

Cupcake

Cupcake is the emotional choice. It’s tied to a newsletter from Copper Leaf Studio that resonated with me. Follow your dreams and all.

Besides, cupcakes are fun. Joyful and delicious. They’re not businessy and serious. Just try being cranky when eating a cupcake.

“Watch out for those sprinkles; you might crack a tooth!”

Hardly.

And the Winner Is…

I need to keep moving, but I also need to lighten up and not take things so seriously all the time. The reminder to relax and lighten up and enjoy the process is really valuable. Crucial even. So I’m keeping both words this year. The practical one to keep my focus and the emotional one to remind me to enjoy it.

So What Does That Mean?

A consistent studio practice that encourages regular growth in the development of my skills and concepts, and a persistent effort to market my work. Encouraging others who are interested in art by teaching.

• A consistent studio practice:
  to help me grow my skills. The start-and-stop stuff I’ve been doing means I’m always starting out rusty and scrambling around to get back up to speed. A consistent practice would eliminate all that catch up time and allow my skills to grow.

  “Consistent” means 10-15 hrs/week in my studio and daily sketching time.

• Finishing larger works to develop a showable portfolio:
  The small artwork I normally do is fun and manageable but I am ready for larger work – craving it – and having a portfolio of larger work would give me work to submit to galleries and more shows.

  “Finishing larger” means 12 pieces of 12×12 or larger.

• Teaching
  I’m ready to begin teaching. I hear all the time, “Oh, I can’t draw” or “I’m not creative” or “I can’t even do a paint by numbers and stay in the lines”. I believe that everyone is creative. Creativity is used in so many areas of our lives that we forget we’re doing it. So much of creativity is finding new solutions to old problems. Drawing and painting can be learned by anyone. It’s kind of like learning a new language. You can’t be fluent the first time you try it – fluency takes time and practice – but you can pick up some common phrases pretty quickly.

  “Teaching” means to develop the idea for a class or workshop and begin offering it to students.

• Marketing
  I am ready to being entering shows again and put my work in front of people. I’m ready to begin developing some attention around my work and increase sales.”Marketing” means entering at least 6 shows this year.